Revolution
by Vincent von Dreyfus
Summary: A dark novelization of Rayman 2: Revolution. After the death of Betilla the Fairy, Rayman has been captured and his execution is nearing. Will Rayman share the fate of his dying race, or is there hope for the Glade of Dreams?
1. The Stormy Night

**A Word from the Author:** How about a bit of background. While I was busy writing away at Chapter 3 of my RR satire _Rayman 2: How Things Should Have Twice Been_, I realized how hard it was to stop myself from writing a serious chapter. So I decided to write a novelization of _Rayman 2: Revolution_ to coincide with the satire of the same game. This is that novelization. I hope nobody minds that I tweaked stuff here and there to make it compatible with the original _Rayman_. It also has some stuff that I made up entirely, such as theories, names, etc.

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**Chapter 1: The Stormy Night**

A crash of lightning lit the way. Waves hit the side of many a rocky iceburg. The gleam of the lightning reflected off the water but not the waves. Raindrops pounded from the heavens, streaming from dark, ominous clouds. Now we approach an island out in the gloom. An island or a continent, nobody is really sure. The Looming Sea is vast, but its mountainous archipelago of rocks are hardly comparable to the large plateau of an island we are approaching. The island had no name other than the Glade of Dreams--really, that was the name of the planet, but because nobody truly knew what lay beyond the Looming Sea we call the island the glade as well.

For a time, the Glade was a land of harmony. Glowing entities known as Lums created a short, stubby man named Polokus. This man was the spirit of the world, the spirit of the Glade of Dreams, a land created by his dreams. He dreamt up the giant Clark, who shaped the land with his brute strength. He magicked up a council of Fairies and Ludivs to keep an eye on the Heart of the World. To keep a watch on the paths, passages, and secrets of his world he fantasized about small gnomes with long heads, the Teensies. There certainly had to be a smart aleck, so Polokus whipped up the all-knowing Greenbottles, such as Murfy. Finally, Polokus smiled as he dreamt about the Glutes, a humorous tribe with members such as Globox and his children. Many other creatures Polokus dreamt up, such as Eig, his assistant. Eig headed the Glades' polar opposite, the Cave of Bad Dreams.

But one day, Polokus left. The wicked Leptys, patron spirit of the accursed Knaaren, tricked Polokus into leaving his world. Where Polokus went is uncertain, but before Leptys could unleash the Knaaren the bird god was called there too. In fact, all the gods mingled with each other at some spiritual convention center. The time after Polokus' departure was a Golden Age. People learned to write and read, and they built up civilizations. A wizard by the name of Mister Dark attempted to break the peace by stealing the Grand Protoon, a sphere which Polokus left to keep things in balance. His plans were thwarted by the heroic Rayman, and peace quickly returned to the world. But that all changed just a few days ago, when evil from outer space visited the glade.

The glade though beautiful and harmonious was technologically weak. There were no factories, no machines, no nothing. It could only be expected that they'd be taken over. With Polokus and Leptys absent and Eig trapped in the Cave of Bad Dreams, there was no diety to protect the glade should evil arrive. Admiral Razorbeard was no fool. He picked the Glade of Dreams because it was so weak, so unprotected. The perfect place to take over.

Of course, there were some rebels. Rayman and his friends Globox, Clark, and the two fairies Ly and Betilla tried to stop Admiral Razorbeard's army of Robo-Pirates from invading. After the death of Betilla the Fairy at the hook of Razorbeard's hand, however, the rebellion began to crumble. It wasn't long before Rayman found himself cornered while attempting to single-handedly avenge the death of Betilla. This was a mistake.

Rayman had been fighting valiantly. He had powers that could keep the Robo-Pirates at bay, he could win. Yet suddenly his powers vanished mid-battle. "Rayman," Ly had echoed in the Raymanian's mind. "The Pirates! They, they've destroyed the Heart of the World! The Lums have been released, run!" Rayman had nowhere to run--he had not told his friends of his mission, and now he was trapped. Helpless now, he was no match for the Robo-Pirates.

Let us return to that rainy night, however. The night when the tides turned for the good. Let us gaze upon that foreboding ship, the _Buccaneer_. More than 18,000 prisoners lay locked up within Admiral Razorbeard's flagship. Rayman was there, locked away and helpless. Already he had witnessed the execution of his friends Tarayzan and Joe the Alien. How fondly he remembered swinging through the trees with Tarayzan. How much he enjoyed Joe's restaurant. Now he'd never experience those memories again. The beautiful songs would never play in the mountains, for Rayman's favorite guitarist, the esteemed Blue Mountain Man, had been executed yesterday. What a tragic time this was.

Ly the Fairy, in a desperate attempt to rescue Rayman, created a magical silver sphere--a Silver Lum. The Lum's purpose was to return to Rayman at least some of his powers. Ly ran into a bit of trouble, though, and entrusted the Lum to Rayman's best friend, Globox. Globox was now on his way to save Rayman by becoming an undercover prisoner.

And so it was that this rainy night Rayman heard iron clanging from beyond his electric prison bars. Rayman was a Raymanian, one of the last to not be executed by the Robo-Pirates. Like most Raymanians, Rayman had no neck, no arms, no legs, no tail. His torso, hands, and head flew limblessly above his feet. Rayman's torso was purple with a single white "0" insignia on the front. At the top was a scarf, wrapped around nothing. His hands were more like white gloves--nobody really knew if these were his hands or if they really were gloves because there was no visible way of getting them off. The same went for his feet; true, they were shoes, but was there any foot inside of them? They were yellow with intricate orange spirals. Rayman had a remarkably large nose, another characteristic of Raymanians. Beyond his snout-like nose were two large, connected eyes, and above them was orange hair split into two fronds. He had a small mouth whose upper jaw was a part of his snout. The mouth was awfully elastic, though, and if need be could be stretched into an enormous grimace.

"Unhand me you ruffians!" a large, frog-like being ordered the Robo-Pirates that dragged him. Globox was a Glute. Glutes are odd creatures, of which I can't really relate to any other animal other than a frog. He had webbed feet, webbed hands, no legs and scrawny, long arms. His neck was very thick, and his belly was plump and ovular. Globox's head was like two cymbols at a horizontal rest position. Two eyes rose from his upper jaw. Globox's skin was blue, almost turquoise, though his webbing and underside were a cyan-like white. Globox had been Rayman's best friend for a long time, and though most teased Globox and called him dumb, Rayman knew Globox to truly be a wise and respectable figure. Though Globox had been made from Polokus' creativity, he was probably one of the smartest rebels there was. To see Globox being dragged on the floor was a sad sight; had Rayman only known that Globox was doing this on purpose. A tear dropped from Rayman's eyes. "Oh Globox," Rayman sighed. "What have they done?"

But to Rayman's surprise the Glute was tossed right into his cell! "Curse you, Robo-Pirates!" Globox yelled in his deep, slightly whiny voice. "Every one of you!" The Glute then turned to Rayman and smiled. With a wink he admitted, "Well I had to get to you somehow."

"Globox!" Rayman cried. He ran to his friend and gave him a big hug. Globox hugged Rayman back. "I missed you, friend."

"What are they going to do to us?" Rayman asked. "I always hear of these 'executions,' where they take people away. You never see them again."

"Have they taken away anybody we know?"

"The Magician, Joe, Tarayzan... The Blue Mountain Man. I don't think they've taken Cookie away yet. Globox, how are we going to get out of here?"

Globox smiled and patted Rayman on the head. Rayman sobbed for a short while. "Rayman, I have come on purpose," he explained.

"Really?" Rayman asked with a sniffle. He rubbed his eyes. "What for?"

"Ly the Fairy sent me with a gift. I'm here to bust you out, Rayman. Look!" Globox opened his mouth wide and reached his hand into his throat. From his bowels he revealed a shining light. So encouraging it was, to see the light come from his stomach unscathed. Rayman knew what the light was. Betilla had used them long ago when Mister Dark had threatened the peace. Betilla... She was like a mother to Rayman. He couldn't help but shed a few tears when the light reminded him of her death. Razorbeard had done it personally, stabbing her in the heart with his hook. Perhaps this light, this Silver Lum, would give him the powers he needed to avenge her. "Take it," Globox urged. "Let's get out of here!"

Rayman nodded. He took the Silver Lum. It shone even brighter and Rayman had to shield his eyes with his other hand. The Lum launched itself into Rayman's torso and soon he was the one shining brighter. Light returned to Rayman's eyes, the light of hope and courage. He felt strength returning to him. Soon he could easily stand without straining himself. The paleness in his skin saturated itself. Rayman felt partly bad for the other Raymanians. Without the Heart of the World, the Raymanians were helpless and weak. Rayman was now returning to health, but the rest were still dying. "Well Globox," Rayman said with a smile. "Let's get out of here." Finally he could move his hands again. He could move his hands before, but a unique ability to the Raymanians was the ability to send their hands out away from their bodies, an action called "throwing" one's fist.

With newfound strength Rayman pounded a ventilation grate. It crumbled away, old and rusted. "Come on, Globox!" Rayman called excitedly. He jumped into the vent, not waiting for his friend. The dark ventilation shaft would have been pitch-black if it weren't for the lights that were here and there. To add to the lighting were red, winged lights. They were parts of the Heart of the World, Red Lums. Long ago, the Red Lums had given energy to the newly formed world. Now thanks to the Robo-Pirates they were scattered. Rayman knew, though, that they would help him. On the slippery shaft he slid right through them. They sparkled as he did and launched themselves into his chest. Soon he felt prime and healthy, full of energy.

It wasn't long before the limbless creature arrived at an exhaust port. The rainy night sky was spread out above him. The _Buccaneer_ was not the conventional sort of ship; no, it was a spaceship made to look like a giant galleon. So he was high in the sky. So small was the land beneath him; he'd have to use some sort of parachute to get down. A shame that he forgot about Globox. If he hadn't, I don't know how the story would have unfolded. Unfortunately, he did forget about Globox, whose weight gave him little control on his slide down the shaft. Globox slammed right into Rayman and sent the two of them careening off the ship and into the sky. Rayman screamed as gravity took hold of him and he and Globox plummeted towards the earth.

The air whistled as Rayman sliced through the atmosphere at an increasing speed. Rayman could see the _Buccaneer _rapidly shrinking as he fell farther and farther away from it. He wondered when the Robo-Pirates would notice he was gone, and what they'd do to find him. But would they find him alive? Rayman wasn't certain, and he had the sinking feeling that this would be the death of him. He was going too fast to use his helicopter hair to save him, and there was no way of slowing his descent because he didn't have a lot of mass. The last thing Rayman saw before he crashed into the world below was the twinkling of a few stars; the storm was clearing up.

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**A Word from the Author:** As a little trivia fact, that last paragraph was originally the first paragraph of Chapter 2!


	2. Light in the Forest

**A Word from the Author:** This chapter originally had one more paragraph; that paragraph is now the final paragraph of Chapter 1. Anyway, this chapter includes many memorable moments from the beginning of the game. I hope this sparks some nostalgia. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: Light in the Forest**

Spots appeared before Rayman's eyes as he hit the first branch. Never had he felt something so painful. The next branch didn't help either, but it did slow his fall. Despite having fallen so quickly, Rayman hit the ground as gently as if he had jumped off the top of a tree. The stinging of his back's pain did not release him to cheer for his safe landing though. He simply lay there, dizzy from the cold of the air, the pain of the raindrops that hit his eyes, the terrible aching of his body from hitting the branches and the ground, and the shock at all that had happened. He could not move and almost didn't want to.

Fortunately for Rayman, the Forest of Light was a familiar forest to him. It was a provence of the Dream Forest, a country that he knew very well from his adventure involving the Grand Protoon and Mister Dark. Though Rayman hadn't tread as far west as the Forest of Light, his home was in the nearby Pink Plant Woods provence and the two looked so similar. It was in the Dream Forest that Rayman had combated Moskito the Terrible, a menacing two-timing mosquito that was almost as big as Rayman himself. The country of Band Land was just to the east, the homelands of the Raymanians just beyond that. Like Rayman, Tarayzan lived in the Dream Forest. It was a shame Tarayzan had died. Sole resident of the Swamps of Forgetfulness, it seems that he finally has lost his memory.

The Forest of Light got its name from the light that shone through the trees. Whether it was day or night, some object was always shining a brilliant light into the forest. Of particular beauty was a spot known only as the Clearing, where a waterfall flowed its sparkling waters towards a canyon's bottom. This was an outlet of the Iron River, the Glade of Dreams' most important body of fresh water. It flowed down from the Iron Mountains in the north and then into the foothills of the Land of the Livid Dead before pushing through the bayous and forests until finally it arrived at Whale Bay and then the Looming Sea.

Nobody knows how long a time had passed before Rayman woke up. When he did, it was early morning on some unknown day. The birds were chirping and the bees were buzzing. Rayman calmly got himself up, hypnotized by the serene beauty of the forest. He glanced about, enjoying the scenery, but soon his eyes grew wide. The first thing to come to his mind was that his dear friend Globox was not present. Unfortunately, Globox had fallen in a different direction towards who-knows-where. He called out "Globoooooox!" in a vain attempt but got no answer. The next thing to come to Rayman's mind was how familiar this forest was. He knew he had not been to the forest before, but the abundance of mosquitoes and flowers were clear evidence that he was in some region of the Dream Forest. And that meant _Livingstones_.

Though not necessarily evil, the Livingstones were a race of green Raymanian-like beings who almost always cover the top half of their heads with oversized safari hats. They were explorers and hunters by birth and scouted the Dream Forest for the next big thing to kill. Almost as skilled of hunters as the Zaroff Clan in the swamps, Rayman had some conflicts with the Livingstones during his Protoon adventure. They were everywhere in the places he explored, so surely they were here too.

Rayman now had two things to do: escape the forest and find Globox. Aware that his call for his friend may have alerted the Livingstones to his presence, Rayman hurried over a log and paced quickly through the forest. The Forest of Light wasn't as full of life as it should have been, Rayman noted. Though he hadn't been here before, he decided that the reason for this was because Robo-Pirates had gone through. Maybe, he hoped, the pirates had captured the Livingstones.

Rayman soon arrived in a big clearing. The sun shone freely through the gap in the trees and Rayman had to pause a moment to adjust his eyes. A medium-sized waterfall plunged over a cliff, flowing through the clearing before vanishing in a cave. Ly the Fairy had once described to Rayman a place called the Clearing that resembled where he was now. Bushes and large mushrooms cluttered around the river, soaking up the water happily. A peculiar altar rose from the ground on a small island in the river and Rayman decided to go have a look. All too late, he realized that it was a trap laid out by the Livingstones.

He heard a rustle in the bushes. "Who's there?" he demanded. "I hope you haven't forgotten me, Livingstones! I beat your boss, Moskito the Terrible, remember? And I can beat you guys as well!" The bush rustled again. "Well, show yourself!" Rayman ordered. Yet again the bush rustled, but nobody came out. "Alright, you've asked for it! I'm coming in for you!" Rayman marched toward the bush and reached his hand in. It came in contact with something and quickly he pulled the hiding creature out. "Please, don't hurt me!" the creature whined. "Pick on somebody your own size!"

Rayman looked at the creature with a hard expression. It was no bigger than a mosquito but was green and had limbs. The small green fly had a large mouth and wore some green robes over a mahogany tunic. Its wings quivered in fright. "What's the big idea, hiding in the bushes like that? Are you helping the Livingstones?" he questioned.

"N-No!" replied the creature. "I'm just a poor Greenbottle, spare me!"

"A Greenbottle, huh?" Rayman replied suspisciously. "Then what are you doing in the forest? You're awfully far from the Bayou."

"I was separated from my family by the Robo-Pirates!" the Greenbottle whimpered. "I'm the only one left. I _had_ to flee from the Bayou, it's practically turned into a war zone over there with all those ships!"

Rayman softened his expression. "Gee, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I probably scared you."

"Yes, very much so!"

"The least I can do is tell you my name so you don't get scared of me again. My name is Rayman, Last of the Raymanians. I'm one of the freedom fighters rebelling against the Robo-Pirates. I'm also the guy who stopped Mister Dark a while back. You don't need to fear me, I'm a good guy."

"Rayman, huh? You wouldn't mind putting a little fella like me down, would ya?"

Rayman blushed. "Oh, sorry," he mumbled. Gently Rayman set the Greenbottle on the grass, but he quickly flew back up to eyelevel with Rayman. "So what's your name?" Rayman quietly asked.

"I'm Murfy, the smartest fella in the whole wide world! I know more than anybody but Polokus and maybe a Teensie or two. My friends call me the Flying Encyclopedia!" Murfy beamed with pride as he said this. "I know almost everything!" he added.

"Everything, huh?" Rayman sighed. "Would you happen to know where my friend Globox is?" Murfy shook his head. "Thought not," Rayman mumbled. "Would you happen to know the way out of here?"

This time Murfy nodded. "Actually," Murfy explained, "while I was hiding in the bush I saw some Robo-Pirates carrying some Teensies away into that little cave over there. If you'd like, I can show you!" Enthusiastically Rayman nodded. And so it was that a new friendship was formed between Rayman the Hero Raymanian and Murfy the Genius Greenbottle. Never before had these races mingled with eachother; it was as if history were being changed!

The cave was actually a small tunnel, with the river plunging into a waterfall once more. Rayman and Murfy descended the waterfall and found themselves at the watery bottom of a canyon. The river almost immediately ran into another river, the River of Begoniax, which flowed in the opposite direction. Both waters seemed to be trapped in the vale, but Murfy explained that there was a series of holes in the walls of the canyon that enabled the water to continue on its way to the Looming Sea. To Rayman's annoyance, the mosquitoes were heavy in the canyon; more annoying was that the mosquitoes were too agile to hit. Murfy could bat one or two away, but wasn't very helpful. "I think they're mad at you for killing their boss Moskito," the Greenbottle whispered in Rayman's ear. "Yeah," Rayman replied, "but it isn't my fault that their boss was an evil insect intent on attacking me, helping me, and then attacking me again!"

A few natural stairs took the two friends out of the vale and on a path going against the River of Begoniax. They were talking about Rayman's voyage in Moskito's Nest, which Murfy informed was actually not too far from the Forest of Light (hence the multitude of mosquitoes), when suddenly both stopped in their tracks. There in front of them floated a yellow ball of light, keeping itself in the air with its feathery wings. It was no bigger than Rayman's fist, and yet as they stared at it they felt awesome power. "Rayman," Murfy whispered. "Have you ever been to the Fairy Council?"

"No," Rayman whispered back. "But Ly has told me a lot about it. It's supposed to be deep in the Dream Forest, full of fairies and ludivs that protect the Heart of the World. But Ly told me the council was invaded and the heart destroyed."

"Exactly," Murfy nodded. "Rayman, do you know what this is?" he asked quietly, pointing at the light. The Raymanian silently shook his head left and right. Murfy answered, "It is a being of amazing power; the energy it contains could wipe an entire city out if it were released. I read about them in _History of the World_. These are Yellow Lums, some of the very particles that created the great Polokus himself. Yellow Lums are embodiments of the knowledge of the world; every fact and figure and truth is sealed away within their itty bitty brains. Without the Yellow Lums and their cousins the Orange Lums, nobody would be able to think and we'd all be as still as rocks."

"Well, what do I do with the Lum?" Rayman questioned.

"Well, have you encountered Red Lums?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how to use them?"

"Yes."

"Then do the same thing with the Yellow Lum. I've heard there are almost 1,000 Yellow Lums out there, all scattered about the world now that the Heart has been broken. Being a hero and all, it would be best if you collected them."

Rayman nodded again and slowly walked forward. The Yellow Lum hissed for a moment, believing Rayman to be another pirate. Rayman hesitated for a moment, but then continued forward slowly and gently. Gradually the Lum realized who Rayman was; it sensed the Red Lums that had blessed him in the _Buccaneer_. Rayman felt it probing his minds for his intentions. "It's alright," Rayman cooed. "I'm here to help." Upon hearing those words, the Yellow Lum bounced in the air in joy and thrust itself toward him. Similar to the Red Lums, it impacted his chest and vanished. Neither Rayman nor Murfy knew how this would help, but decided it would be a good idea to snatch up any Lums they found.

It wasn't long after that Rayman encountered another lost creature. Well, actually there were three. Three miniature Glutes stood atop a small ledge near a cave. The moment they saw Rayman trudging against the river they squealed with joy; recognizing the Glutes, Rayman ran towards them with Murfy in tow. The three were each identical to Globox, just smaller. Between each other, they were identical.

"Rayman!" they cheered as Rayman arrived. Rayman picked up and hugged every one of them. "Children!" he cheered with equal happiness. "Here I was thinking we were lost, but yet here you all are! Where's Uglette?"

The babies all spoke in unison. "She's at home, looking for us."

"You know you shouldn't be running away from your mother. Why are you out here, anyway?"

"Looking for our daddy. Rayman, have you seen daddy?"

At this Rayman's heart sunk. What could he tell them? Globox was heavier than Rayman; for all he knew, Globox could have landed on rocks and died. "I..." he began. But he couldn't finish. The children didn't realize how terrible he felt and actually looked up at him with happy and expectant faces. They were so happy, it would be so terrible to give them the bad news. It would crush their hearts. Murfy too looked at Rayman, a look of comfort on his face as if to say, "Don't worry, I'm right behind you." Rayman took a deep, heavy breath and set the children down. "I hate to tell you this, fellas, but I don't know where Globox is. We were separated, and I myself have been looking for him too."

As Rayman expected, the babies could not take it. They wept loudly, and though Rayman's heart was broken by their sad tears Murfy couldn't handle it. "Hey!" he yelled, silencing the babies. "I'm very sorry about your father, but we won't be able to find him unless you cooperate and let us know what we need to know! Please stop your crying." The babies nodded, though they continued to sniffle. Rayman gave Murfy a dirty look, though the Greenbottle didn't catch it. But the fly _was_ right, and Rayman did need to know something very important. "Kids," he inquired, "do you know where Ly the Fairy is?"

"She was just here," sobbed one baby. "We saw her running really fast into the cave."

"Thank you very much," Rayman sighed. "I have to go now, but don't worry. I will find Globox, I promise." Glancing at Murfy to let him know it was time, he hurried off into the gaping cave, waving good-bye as the babies cried again.


	3. We are the Teensies

**A Word from the Author:** Finally, a recent chapter! I finished this one just yesterday. It features at least some connectivity to both _Rayman_, _Rayman 2: The Great Escape_, _Rayman 2: Revolution_, AND _Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc_. I'm proud with how the ending turns out in particular. Enjoy, enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: We are the Teensies**

The cave was again a tunnel taking Rayman and Murfy to a new area of the forest. It brought them to a clearing where the light shone in from a hole in the cave's ceiling. Glass decorations hung from the ceiling, their shadows filling the place with color. The cave had a holy feel to it, especially the pit in the center; Rayman couldn't see what was in it, but he was sure there was something powerful. Both of them hid, though, because to their despair they were not alone in the cave.

In the clearing was a band of three Livingstones, chatting away about hunting stories. Behind them was a cage; it was hard to tell who was in the cage, but whoever it was they were quiet as a mouse. "I think we really lucked out!" one Livingstone said. "Those Robo-Pirates weren't any match for us! And they even had a cage for us to stick our captives in, imagine that!"

"Don't you think we should gag them, though? They might yell for help..." said a second.

"Nah, they're too scared of us to do that," the first answered.

"Aren't you?" the third snickered at the prisoners. One of the prisoners squeaked a "Yes."

"What should we do with them?" the second asked. "I'm sure Count Razoff would pay a pretty penny for them as his slaves."

"No, let's not deal with Razoff," the third grumbled. "That show-off would just take the credit from us. Never trust a Zaroff, I always say. Maybe we should just leave them here and hunt after that fairy woman that went by. She'd fetch us a higher price."

Rayman frowned. Nobody would take Ly, not if he could help it. "Come on, Murfy!" he whispered. Quickly Rayman jumped out from behind the rock and grimaced. "So, Livingstones, haven't learned anything have you?" he roared.

"Rayman!" they cried in unison. "Let's get outta here!" cried one.

"But where to?" whimpered another.

"That pit! I don't know what's down there, but I've heard it goes to many places. Let's go!" The three turned their backs and leaped into the pit. Rayman and Murfy winced as they heard three scared cries, fading away into nothing.

Within moments, Murfy got the cage opened. Out rolled four small gremlins in fine clothing. They were all turquoise with intricate spiral markings on their long, vertical heads. They were dressed in fancy green robes, even more stylish than Murfy's. Each had a cane and one had a pocket watch. That particular one checked the time. "Good golly," he exclaimed. "It _is_ getting late!" One of the gremlins wore a tall, golden crown. He stepped forward and bowed towards Rayman and Murfy. "Bonjour, tout le monde! I am Raphael, King of the Teensies!" the artistocrat proudly exclaimed.

The Teensies were the dominant race of the continent's west, created by Polokus to guard the paths, doors, and walkways of the world. Though Teensies were humble and small they held great powers bestowed upon them by the gods. They were the rulers of the mystical Hall of Doors, a void where one could access any place in the entire glade via Teensie Highways. Once fearless, the Teensies became timid after the rise of Leptys and the Knaaren, who terrorized the Teensies. The ruling council of the Teensies was called the Grand Minimus, composed of a single king and three advisors. The Minimus was very ancient.

Unfortunately for us, Rayman, and Murfy, the Teensies we have encountered were very forgetful. The Teensie with the pocket watch coughed into a handkercheif, reached over, and snatched the crown from Raphael's head. "Quit that," he said with another glance at his watch. "Rayman, I am Ptiserrie, the true King of the Teensies!" he announced with a bow. "How do you do?" A Teensie with a mustache glared at Ptiserrie for a moment, then grabbed the crown and put it on his head. "Enough with this nonsense!" the old creature wheezed. "I, Francois, am the rightful king!" There were mutters of disapproval amongst Raphael and Ptiserrie. Suddenly, the fourth Teensie, which wore a monocle, shoved Francois out of the way and took the crown. "No, no, no. Rayman, the only true king is moi, Jacques!" Francois wasn't just going to let Jacques steal the glory, so he pushed Jacques and took the crown back. "Don't listen to him, Rayman, the king is me!"

"No, me!" scolded Ptiserrie as he retreived the crown. "Me!" demanded Raphael. Back and forth the crown moved from one Teensie's head to the other as they argued and mumbled and growled and shoved. Soon Rayman could not stand the constant arguing. "HEY!" he yelled, waking up Murfy (who had dozed off of boredom). "That's enough! Please, your majesties, just decide who's the king already! I need to know where Ly and Globox are!" The Grand Minimus stared at Rayman for a moment, appalled that somebody would speak to them that way.

"Rayman," Ptiserrie scolded, "do you know who we are? We are the Grand Minimus, and you shall not speak to us that way!" He glanced again at the time. "Oh dear, we are going to be late!"

"Late for what?" Jacques asked before being given a dirty look.

"You know what!" Ptiserrie snapped. "Our daily check-up on the Hall of Doors! Those pirates really gave us a set back, we must hurry up with things! What should the Great Lord say if the doors open?"

Raphael grabbed the crown and roughly placed it on Ptiserrie's head. "He'll blame you," Raphael mused, "because you are wearing the crown!"

"Your majesties!" Rayman whined. "Please, I would like to know where Ly and Globox are!" Ptiserrie glanced at the other Teensies for a moment with worry on his face. What would he say? He didn't want to break the news to Rayman, but there seemed to be no other choice! "Monsieur," he slowly began, "I am very sorry to tell you this, but I have some rather bad news. It seems Globox has been recaptured in the swamps and hauled away; to where I do not know. Ly ran right through here, but I'm sorry to say the pirates ambushed her. I do not know where she is now, but I do know where the best place to look is."

"And where is that?" Rayman asked.

"At the Front, where the rest of the freedom fighters are standing up against the onslaught of pirates. I have a brother at the Teensie Circle in the Minisaurus Plains. He'd probably know where Ly is now." Ptiserrie marched up to the pit and called Rayman forth. "Rayman, do you know what this pit is?" Rayman shook his head. Murfy smacked his face. "Come on," Murfy complained, "you have to be smarter than _that_, Rayman!"

"Monsieur Rayman," Ptiserrie explained, "this is the gateway to the Hall of Doors. We were on our way here when the pirates captured us. Every day we must trek up here or to another outlet to make sure all the doors are locked. If they are open, then time and space will forever be jumbled up. As you can see, it is a very important job. I can only hope that all the doors are locked; otherwise, the pirates can get wherever they please in an instant. We Teensies only open them in emergencies; Polokus would have our heads if we opened them for any other reason. Thank goodness this is an emergency." The King of the Teensies clapped his hands. "Lums, come forth! It is safe now!" he called. Four Yellow Lums fluttered down from the hole in the cave and launched themselves into Rayman. A Silver Lum fluttered down as well, straight into Ptiserrie's hands. "Rayman, surely you know what this is? A Silver Lum?" the king asked. Rayman nodded. "Well, we Teensies use them to open and close our doors," Ptiserrie continued. "They are very powerful. Stand back, this could get dangerous!" The other Teensies took some steps backward. Rayman glanced at them for a moment, confused. But rather than risk danger, he complied. Both he and Murfy moved back as well.

The sky grew dark. The wind grew into a ferocious storm. A cyclone plummeted from the heavens and through the cave's hole. It pierced the black pit and there seemed to be an explosion of wind and magic. "By the powers invested in we the Teensies," Ptiserrie yelled at the cyclone, "I declare this door..._OPEN_!" The Silver Lum launched itself from Ptiserrie's hands straight into the whirling storm. There was a bolt of lightning and a clap of thunder. The Silver Lum grew in size and began to spin and spin. Tendrils poked themselves out of the lum, which began to turn blue and red and all colors of the rainbow. It spun and spun like a Spiral Galaxy, faster and faster, until gradually it slowed down. The thundering winds ceased their fury and all turned quiet. Rayman realized he'd been holding his breath and quickly drew in some air. It was over.

Ptiserrie bowed. "Rayman," he explained, "this is a Magic Spiral Door. They hide in altars and pits like this. Only we Teensies can reveal them if they are closed; but if they are open unattended, then mark my words! All chaos will consume the provence they lie in!" He raised a finger to enhance the effect. "Worlds ripped apart by this thundering hurricane of wonder! Why, if it weren't for the Purple Lums holding things together, we'd all be dead right now!"

"Where does this lead, though?" Rayman asked. "Sir," he quickly added so as not to be rude.

The King of the Teensies nodded. "I should have told you where we are sending you. This goes to the Minisaurus Plains, where my brother Copernicus is governor. If anybody knows where Ly is, he would. You must be warned, however, that this is also where the pirates are fighting the freedom fighters. We sometimes call it the Front now. But first, I believe you received a Silver Lum from Ly, Rayman."

Rayman flinched. "How did you know that?" Rayman asked in awe.

The other Teensies muttered amongst themselves for a moment. Ptiserrie gave Rayman a lulling, eerie stare. "I know these things, Rayman," he said in a hypnotic voice. "I _know_ these things." He clapped his hands and again a Silver Lum fluttered down to his hands. "Rayman, this Silver Lum will allow you to do things you've never been able to do before. Instead of throwing your fist, you shall be able to fire balls of magical energy. It may seem like a handicap, but it would be better if a laser hit a magic energy ball instead of a fist, hm?"

"I...I guess you're right!" Rayman nodded in revelation. He rubbed one of his hands, remembering the pain of it coming in contact with a Hunter's bullet. Ptiserrie let the Silver Lum rocket into Rayman's chest, and again he felt the sensation of energy and power returning to his body. "Oh yeah!" Rayman cheered, feeling healthy as ever. "I feel like I could take out an army now! Woo!"

"Thank those Yellow Lums for that," Ptiserrie explained. "The more you have, the more Silver Lums can do for you."

"I'll be sure to collect a lot of them, then!"

"Me too!" Murfy chimed in.

The Teensie King turned back to the Magic Spiral Door. "Now then, Rayman, I want you to listen carefully," he instructed. "You too, Murfy." Rayman and Murfy turned to attention, ready for orders. "Murfy, I'd like you to help teach Rayman everything you can. You both are at the beginning of a big journey, and the road will be full of dangers. A little insight now and then from a flying encyclopedia will be a helpful thing, hm? And Rayman, protect Murfy and all the good people you meet. The less new captives to the pirates, the better. Both of you must seek out the Teensie Circle near the Minisaurus Plains. Copernicus is there, and I'm sure he'll be willing to help. Just tell him the Grand Minimus sent you.

"I'm afraid that this is where we all must part. I and the rest of the Grand Minimus wish you the deepest luck, and hope to see you at the end of the road. Now go, Rayman. Go, Murfy. Take the Teensie Highway, and do not look back." Ptiserrie coughed and looked at his watch again.

"So what do we do?" Rayman asked. "How do we use the door?"

"Well," Murfy advised. "If my books are right, all we do is jump in!"

Jacques nodded. "Indeed," he smiled. "It is good to know others carry the knowledge of the Teensies. Come, Minimus! Let us send them off with a grand farewell!" Ptiserrie and the rest of the Grand Minimus agreed. Silenting their ceaseless mumbling, they lined up in a row and waved good-bye. Here and there was a cheer wishing the two heroes luck on their journey.

"Thank you for all that you have taught us," Rayman said with a bow. Then he and Murfy waved farewell to the Teensies. They turned, and without looking back the two ran and leaped into the whirling vortex. As they faded away from the Forest of Light, Ptiserrie looked at the other Teensies with a smile. "Well, my friends," he said happily. "It appears I was mistaken. It seems we are right on time."


	4. Copernicus and the Minisaurus Plains

**A Word from the Author:** Sorry for the long wait. Well, not so long I guess. This was finished last week, but we're on vacation so I've been side-tracked from uploading it. Anyway, I had a bit of fun with it, so I hope y'all like it. And by the by, this is the longest chapter I've ever posted so far! 4,396 words to be exact, not including this and the sentence before this one.

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**Chapter 4: Copernicus and the Minisaurus Plains**

A rainbow of colors flashed before Rayman's eyes. "Woah!" he exclaimed. He quickly put his hands to his eyes; the flashing colors hurt his eyes, which seriously had to adjust. It was a burning sensation he had never experienced before. The only time he had ever come this close was in the colorful Picture City, capital city of the eastern half of the continent. Capital city of the Raymanians. He wondered for a moment whether Picture City still stood or not. But only for a moment, because Rayman's attention was quickly brought to the fact that he was moving at an extremely fast pace. Some invisible force was pushing him along. He was actually sliding on a thin neon platform hanging in midair. "Helloooooooo, and welcome to the Teensie Highway!" a voice greeted. Rayman quickly looked to his right; only for a second, though, as he didn't want to take his eyes off the road. A Teensie had been next to him, sitting in a strange hovercraft. He was not nearly as old as the Grand Minimus and though he was dressed in robes he had a bit of a young adult appearance to him. He had seemed laid back, resting against the back of his comfy-looking chair. A clipboard was in one hand, a pencil in the other. "My name is Chad, and I'll be your attendant this evening," the Teensie casually said. "Where are you headed, monsieur...monsieur..."

"Rayman!" Rayman quickly yelled.

"Monsieur Rayman, is it?" Chad calmly said with a smile. He wrote Rayman's name down at the top of the paper the clipboard was holding. "And where is it that you're headed?"

"Uh, um, the Minisaurus Plains!"

"Ah, the Minisaurus Plains! Wonderful! Well, I wish I could say something like, 'Sit back and relax,' but I can't do that obviously. Sooooo, Monsieur Rayman, got any business over in the plains? I hear they had wonderful zoos... You wouldn't happen to be a member of the Friends of the Denys Association, would you? All the Minisaurus Zoos were closed after the FDA declared them an inhumane way of keeping Minisauruses and Denys. Are you going on recreation? The Pier by the Minisaurus Plains has some wonderful beaches. And I hear fairies like to get a bit..._naturalle_, if you know what I mean!" Rayman couldn't help but roll his eyes upon hearing that one. "Anyway, your exit should be coming up shortly."

Rayman finally got over his amazement at how the Teensie Highway was a void full of psychedelic images and flashing rainbow colors and realized that Murfy wasn't around. "Where's M-Murfy?" he demanded.

"Oh, you came with a friend?" Chad asked, leaning back in his chair. He wrote a few more things down, such as where Rayman was headed and so on. "Well, don't you worry about Monsieur Murfy. He's probably just behind us." Chad stole a look behind him and what he saw confirmed his suspicions. "Yep, Monsieur Murfy is right behind us. Seems he's getting all cozy with Mademoiselle Marie, though. I hope you two weren't...together?"

"Oh, no no, we aren't together in that way!" Rayman yelled through his wind-swept mouth. It was very hard to talk with your mouth being pushed back. Rayman couldn't see how Chad could say anything with such ease!

"Ah, I see... Well, then I suppose you have nothing to worry about," Chad said quietly. "Oh yippee! Look over there, monsieur! Your exit ramp is coming up on the left!" he then happily exclaimed, pointing enthusiastically ahead of them.

"How do I get off?" Rayman yelled.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that, monsieur. Thank you, Monsieur Rayman, for riding with Teensie Slidelines this evening. I hope you enjoyed your trip!"

Rayman's mind started reeling. _Of course I need to worry about that!_ he thought. _Don't they realize the world is in danger!? And of course I didn't enjoy this trip!_ The exit ramp approached astonishingly fast. Rayman began to panic. How would he get off the ramp? Just as it seemed he'd miss the exit, he felt a painful ramming to his right and tumbled onto the exit ramp. "Hey!" Rayman exclaimed. "That guy just rammed into me!" Indeed, Chad had smashed his hovercraft right into Rayman's side to send him into the exit. Rayman stole a glance back, only to see Chad waving good-bye and speeding away. Then before he knew it, a Magic Spiral Door opened up right in the road's path and he fell into it, Murfy right behind.

-

With a great thud Rayman toppled out of a small Spiral Door on the wall of a cliff and landed head-first on a large boulder. He weakly pushed himself up, but just as he was thinking he was feeling better Murfy launched out of the Spiral Door. Murfy hit Rayman in the head falling, knocking the Raymanian right back onto the boulder. "Sorry about that, Rayman," Murfy quickly apologized. Rayman only dazedly pushed himself back up.

Rayman had been to the Minisaurus Plains before, but as he looked around things were different. Things were _wrong_. Before it had been a lively place, with Glutes running about and Minisaurus and Denys roaring and grumbling in the distance. Butterflies had flown everywhere, without a care in the world. But now the Minisaurus Plains were scary, _haunting_. The wind howled sinisterly as Rayman looked around. He wasn't even at the plains themselves, just at the bottom of a small canyon. The plains lay on a plateau, and he was certainly not at the right elevation. He knew though that even from here he should have been hearing the sounds of life. Instead, all he heard was the wind and a waterfall. No sounds of life. As if the plains were stone empty. "I think we're too late," Rayman whispered to Murfy, grave expression on his face. "The pirates must have already come through here." Tears began to form in his eyes. "Murfy, Ly lives here. What if..." He couldn't handle it. He broke down and cried.

Murfy took the moment to scout about the area. The plains were bare, trees and grass being the only things left on them. No, wait, what was that? "Hey Rayman!" he called with glee from high above. "I see a Glute!" He called to the Glute with all his might. "Heeeeey! Gluuuuute! Yeah you over there! Can you please come over here for a moment? We're here to help!" The Glute miraculously heard Murfy and rushed into a river. He rode it down the waterfall and landed with ease right next to Rayman and Murfy, who had flown back down. "Rayman?" the Glute gasped. "Is that you? I thought you were kidnapped by the pirates!" He was almost identical to Globox, just smaller. He had a few scars on his face.

Rayman brushed his tears away. He looked up at the Glute with at least a slight smile. "Globox helped me escape. What happened here?"

The Glute frowned. He looked a bit uncomfortable. "The Robo-Pirates attacked us. After you were captured we let our guard down. Unfortunately the pirates picked that time to attack. I think the only ones left here are myself, a few Minisaurus, and old Copernicus over in the Watchful Woods. The other freedom fighters are stuck fighting in the Eastern Plains now. A lot of the people living here were either captured or shot on sight. The plains have turned into a graveyard, Rayman. I fought my share, but I could only save so many. I think General Bzzit was even taken into the swamps... I don't think we've had such a terrible defeat before!" Now it was the Glute's turn to cry.

"There there," Rayman said softly. He patted the Glute on the back. "What's your name?"

"Pierre. I was fighting under Bzzit's ranks. I'm the only one left... But I regret it. It is so terrible, to watch and see your friends and family being massacred right in front of you. And the pirates probably would have stayed, but General Clark arrived and pushed the pirates back to the Eastern Plains. Sometimes I wish I had fallen in battle..."

"Now now, if you had died in battle then you wouldn't be here now," Murfy tried to comfort. "And we need you now more than ever. Unless limbless boy over here knows how to swim--and if he's like any other Raymanian he doesn't--then I'm going to need your help to teach him how. Can you help me, Pierre?" Pierre weakly nodded. "Good." Murfy turned to look at Rayman. "Rayman, the Grand Minimus put me in charge of giving you insight. And I'm now going to do just as they said. I'm going to teach you how to swim!"

"This is hardly the time, Murfy," Rayman scolded.

"You may think so, but this is the perfect time. Look, the pirates have caused a rock slide. There's no way to get up the canyon and onto the plains unless you swim through the underwater tunnel over there in the river. I'm not strong enough to carry you up in the air."

Rayman scowled and grumbled, but in his heart he knew that it was the only way. He finally sighed and stood up. "Alright, fine," he grumpily stated. "Teach me how to swim, you two."

Murfy smiled. "It won't be so bad," he happily said. "Thanks for giving me control! First thing is first, get in the shallow water. There, now I want you to move towards the deeper water. As you get deeper, start trying to hold yourself up in the water without touching the sand. Try kicking your...uh...imaginary legs." Rayman nodded sullenly. In truth, he was terrified of water. He tried to hide his fear to encourage Pierre, but couldn't help but gulp and grow wide-eyed when he looked at the deeper water. There was no turning back, though. He had to go on, and the only way would be by swimming. "Okay, Rayman, you can do this!" he mumbled to himself. Bracing himself, Rayman got into the water and tried to keep himself up.

-

"That's it, good!" Murfy cheered. Finally after hours of practice with Pierre, Rayman had loosely gotten the hang of swimming both above and underwater. It was scary, and he didn't like doing it for long periods of time, but he could do it now. "Come on," Pierre teased. "I'll race you to the other side of that tunnel!" Rayman looked around for the tunnel. He saw a dark spot in the river; that had to be it! He silently nodded and followed the Glute underwater. It hurt his eyes to keep them open underwater, but it was something Murfy had again and again informed he needed to do. In the tunnel was a blue ball of light. It launched itself at him, and he hesitated for a moment wondering what it did. For a moment he felt like he could breathe, but only for a moment. So he did and quickly paddled onward.

Pierre beat him to the water's surface on the other end of the tunnel. "Way to go, Rayman!" he cheered when Rayman made it to the sandy shore. By the small patch of land was a few ledges. They went up the canyon like stairs, all the way to the top. "Murfy's just up those stairs," Pierre explained. "I'll be with you two in a moment." Rayman nodded and left the Glute to his business. As he climbed the stairs he thought about the war. When he had left the Grand Minimus, things seemed as if they were going to be alright. Now that he had discovered the fate of the Minisaurus Plains, he wasn't so sure about things. When he was with Ly and Betilla and Globox, it felt like no Robo-Pirate could ever win. Now it seemed that the freedom fighters were losing, and badly. The massacre had been a struggle they could not win. How many more of these massacres would there be before somebody finally won the war? And who _would_ win the war?

All was quiet as Rayman reached the top of the stairs and looked across the wide plains. It was almost completely empty. Miles of green, rolling plains, yet not a single animal. The wind made the grass shimmer on the plateau. It howled as it blew through Rayman's hair. There were rocks in the distance. Graves.

To the left along a dirt path was a small stone bridge. It kindly stood over the canyon, allowing a person on a walk to easily cross and enter the woods on the other side. The woods were not completely dark, but darker than the Forest of Light for sure. There seemed to be no animals in it either. The trees were green, basking in the sunlight and evidently enjoying the lack of predators. They formed a sort of wall or fence, blocking any entry with the exception of the small hole where the path went into. Because of its sturdy fortifications, the forest was called the Watchful Woods. Rayman wondered if anybody was watching from the forest. A dark shadow seemed to snicker from the depths of the forest. Of course, this was the Eastern Plains, a second plateau that laid on the side of the forest across from the Minisaurus Plains. According to Pierre, there was a battle going on in the Eastern Plains. It seemed almost impossible from the Minisaurus Plains that any battle could be nearby. From where he stood, Rayman felt like one of the last beings on the planet.

To the right of Rayman, the very same dirt path descended down the side of the plateau until it arrived at a deserted beach. Before there used to always be tourists enjoying the sunny sands, but now there was nothing but grumpy crabs. Sticking its wooden body into the sea was a small dock, known by the locals as "The Pier." It seemed so long ago that Bzzit captained a ferry boat connecting the residents of the continent to the continent far away, across the Looming Sea, where the Summit Beyond the Clouds stood ominously.

The dirt path was on the other side of a wooden fence. On the side Rayman was on stood a lone scarecrow. It stood almost like a ghost in a graveyard. No crows would come for it to scare away. It was useless.

Murfy fluttered down from the sky towards Rayman. "Hey Rayman," he said, trying to be cheerful, "I've been taking a look at this fence. It seems the only way to open it is to spin the scarecrow all the way around in a circle."

"That doesn't sound too hard," Rayman sighed. "Let's give it a go!"

"Hold it, buddy. This would be the perfect time to try out that magic fist! Look, I've positioned a small bulls-eye on the scarecrow's side. Just hit that seven or so times and it will have spun around perfectly! Why don't you give it a try?"

"Well... Alright. It wouldn't hurt," Rayman agreed. He looked straight at the bulls-eye. With a small effort he zoned out everything around him but the target. "Let's see, how shall I do this?" he asked himself quietly. Experimenting, he pulled back his right hand and cupped it as if he were holding a tennis ball. Nothing happened. He sprung his hand forward, but not far enough to call it "throwing his fist." As he did, he moved his hand so that it was as if he were tossing the ball forward. Suddenly Rayman felt a surge of energy through his fingertips. A white orb of light briefly appeared in his hand before launching forward straight into the target. It vanished on impact. The target was thrust back and the scarecrow rotated a little. "Ah, this is excellent!" Rayman happily exclaimed as he started throwing more magic orbs at the target, moving around the scarecrow so that he could hit it. "I don't have to get near my enemy to hurt them now! I feel like a Hunter now, except without the gun that needs reloading!" Rayman laughed with glee as he hit the target one last time. It was exactly the seventh hit, and the scarecrow had rotated in a full circle. Almost like the trigger of a mouse trap, the fence's gate sprung open. "Magnifique, Murfy! That was some great thinking! You're the fly, monsieur!" Rayman thanked.

Murfy only blushed. "Hey, don't mention it! You're a great shot, by the way." Rayman began to walk out the gate when Murfy flew in front of him and stopped him. Murfy then pointed at a small orb of light, fluttering in the wind. It was almost like a Yellow Lum, except it was green in color. Rayman hadn't seen anything like it before. "What _is_ that?" he asked.

Murfy shook his head. "I'm not sure," he muttered quietly. "Well, not completely sure. It's a Green Lum, another fragment of the Heart of the World. But the books are practically empty when it comes to their business. Some say that some lums were created unexpectedly. Like a Black Lum or an Orange Lum. Green Lums are the most mysterious of them all. Their purpose is unknown. Nobody knows where they come from or why they are here. Scientists tried to figure out what they do, but it seems they don't affect anything about the world at all. I myself am baffled. All I know is that if you've got enough Yellow Lums, Green Lums can protect you from death itself. Like, if you fell into some lava and you'd made contact with a Green Lum first, then you'll suddenly reappear where you met the Green Lum, unscathed."

"That really _is_ peculiar..." Rayman remarked. He suddenly remembered the light in the tunnel. "Murfy," he asked, "do you know about Blue Lums?"

"Oh yes, of course!" Murfy nodded. "Blue Lums are some of the most important lums around. Normally they are the only ones that fly free from the Heart of the World. Without them, life couldn't exist. They are the embodiment of life. When a baby is born, a doctor gives the baby a few Blue Lums. Those Blue Lums remain with them for the rest of their life. With the Heart of the World destroyed, there are more Blue Lums around than usual... I'm pretty sure that if you encounter one underwater, you'll get a few breaths of air. Pretty handy if you ask me."

"Gee, how many Lums _are_ there?"

"A lot, I'll tell you that."

Rayman approached the Green Lum. It whispered something to him in some unknown language that neither Murfy nor Rayman could understand. Suddenly it then rocketed into Rayman's chest. Rayman's chest sparkled green for a moment, then returned to normal. "Well," the limbless man sighed, "I guess if I die I'll be finding myself here again." He remembered Pierre, the poor Glute that was still down by the river. "Murfy, what about Pierre? We can't leave without him," he told the Greenbottle.

"You're right," Murfy nodded. "I'll go attend to him. You go on ahead, I'll find you." Rayman didn't get a chance to say good-bye as Murfy flew a loop-di-loop and descended the canyon.

Now all alone, Rayman looked around. "Pierre said Copernicus would be in the Watchful Woods, I think," he mumbled to himself. "I might as well give the forest a look." Without another word, Rayman crossed the stone bridge and followed the dirt path into the dark forest...

-

Rayman had never been in the Watchful Woods for a long period of time before. Normally he just crossed it while jogging to Ly's House, which stood near the Eastern Plains. This was the first time he had actually searched the forest for something. After what may have been hours of wandering in the windy woods, Rayman encountered a sign at a fork along the dirt path. It pointed both left and right. It said that Ly's House and the Eastern Plains were to the left. Down the road Rayman saw the familiar giant mushrooms that marked the Eastern Passage. "I should go check on Ly's house sometime," Rayman noted to himself. The sign said that to the right was Watcher's Way, a Magic Well, and some sort of Stone Circle. Watcher's Way, as Rayman had heard about, was a scenic path leading to a cliff overlooking the River of Begoniax as it crossed through the Bog of Murk. Rayman wasn't sure what the Magic Well was all about, but the Stone Circle sounded like something a Teensie would hang out in. "Perhaps Copernicus is near the Stone Circle," he remarked quietly to himself. "It's worth a go." Rayman followed the path to the right, and soon found himself at another fork, this time with three paths. A sign pointed in each direction. To the left was the Watcher's Way trail. To the right was the Magic Well. But going up along the side of a large hill was the path leading to the Stone Circle. Rayman shrugged and walked up the hill.

At the top was a circle of large menhirs in simple designs. A sort of "Stonehenge," if you will. They were green with moss in the dark areas, but for the most part the menhirs were bare. The top of the hill lacked any trees, and the sun shone freely onto the mound. At the center of the flat hilltop was a small pit very similar to the one used by the Grand Minimus.

"Who goes there?" demanded a small but ancient voice. "I'm warning you! You don't know who you're messing with!" The voice came from behind one of the menhirs. Rayman slowly approached the menhir and peeked around it. Huddling in fear was a Teensie wearing a crown. The crown was tall and golden, though not as large as that used by the Grand Minimus. "Excuse me," Rayman called slowly, "but are you Copernicus? The Grand Minimus sent me to find you!" As soon as Rayman mentioned the Grand Minimus the old Teensie leaped into the air and grabbed Rayman's hand. He immediately began to enthusiastically shake the disembodied hand before hurrying into the sunlight. "Yes, I am Copernicus!" the Teensie happily declared with a bow. "Royal Governor, at your service! I am in charge of keeping all the doors in this area shut and locked, with the help of my loyal subjects the Teensie Ambassadors!" Copernicus paused briefly to look around. "Well, not anymore. It seems the pirates have captured all my Ambassadors! Oh dear... But you found me, Rayman! You're _good_!"

"Gee, um, thanks..." Rayman blushed.

"You're very welcome! Oh, I hope I don't seem too hyper to you. The other governors always say I'm too enthusiastic."

"Oh no, that's okay."

"Good, good! Well then, Rayman, how can I help you?" With the snap of his fingers a small Magic Spiral Door opened up and coughed out a lawn chair. It closed back up just as Copernicus happily plopped himself onto the chair.

"Well, first of all how did you know my name? And secondly, do you know where Ly the Fairy is?" Rayman asked in confusion.

"Easy! We Teensies know practically everybody, even if we've never met! You might call it 'intuition.' Or you can just call it 'Super Cool Psychic Powers!' But let's not get overexcited now... I've got some bad news, Rayman.

"Ly the Fairy has been carried off to the Fairy's Glade. The pirates have locked her up in a fortress there. Do you still wish to find her?"

"Uh, yes. I'm brave enough."

"Okay, then... The Fairy's Glade is right by here, you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. In fact, the Watcher's Way trail passes right through it! Unfortunately, though, the pirates have constructed huge doors blocking any entry to the glade... There _is_ another way, however. If you stroll through the Minisaurus Plains for a bit, you'll come across a small dirt path leading down into a cave. The cave is a tunnel going right under the fortress and to a small pond in the glade. I'm sure you can get to the fortress from there!" Copernicus cheerfully finished, a twinkle in his eye.

"Alright!" Rayman excitedly cheered. "_Finally_ I know where Ly is! Thank you, Copernicus! Thank you for everything! But I can't stay any longer. Ly needs my help, I have to go to the Fairy's Glade." He got up and started to leave.

"I know she does," Copernicus abruptly said, "but remember, Rayman. The pirates are merciless, and if my 'intuition' is correct then they are searching everywhere for you. Be on your guard, that glade is enemy territory!"

Rayman nodded his head. "Okay, thanks for the warning. I'll be careful, I promise. Bye, Copernicus!" He turned and rushed down the hill, Copernicus waving good-bye. "We'll meet again, I promise you," Copernicus called out.

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**A Word from the Author: **Yes, I managed a cross over between the three major games. Do be sure to review the chapter, folks. I want to know what anybody thinks of my change to the Minisaurus Plains.


	5. Facing Fears

**A Note from the Author:** Hm, this is shorter than I expected... Most of this was written late last year, then I got stuck on fighting Robo-Pirates and didn't come back to it until now. So the majority of this chapter won't be as good as some of my more recent stuff, such as the most recent chapter of Hide-and-Seek. The high-quality stuff, the part I wrote today, starts at Murfy's dialogue and goes to the end.

There's a major issue with present tense vs. past tense in the first few paragraphs; hope you don't mind.

As always, reviews are highly appreciated and will be read thoroughly. So please review after reading.

_Rayman 2: The Great Escape_ and _Rayman 2: Revolution_ are (c) UbiSoft

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**Chapter 5: Facing Fears**

The Fairy's Glade is not a glade at all, but everybody calls it one anyway. It is actually a province in the Kingdom of the Teensies that surrounds the Fairy Council, a mystical mountain that held the Heart of the World. The Fairy Glade, as it is typically called (most didn't consider it owned by the fairies, but rather the ludivs), has an odd feeling of mystique to it. I guess in actuality it _is_ a glade, though in truth it is a forest with many small glades within it. The Fairy Glade has been renowned for its beautiful night sky and how the forest seems to turn purple and turquoise at night. Many fairy tales have been made about the Fairy Glade.

Since the arrival of the Robo-Pirates, however, the Fairy Glade has become vacant. Once full of Teensies (for the Teensie capital lay just within the Fairy Council's walls), bustling villages, and a booming resort business, the Fairy Glade now held nothing but empty forests, burned down villages, prison facilities, and a large fortress standing on the edge of a cliff. Few animals remained in the forest, apart from frogs, fish, and a few birds. Many fish, though, were chased out by piranhas, which the pirates dumped into the Iron River.

Rayman felt the remaining mystique, however, when he arrived at the end of the tunnel. He found himself at a small pond with an island at the center, connected to the mainland by a wooden bridge. The pond and the surrounding land was walled in by rocks and boulders impossible to climb. An enormous tree branch stretched out across the pond perpendicular to the tunnel. Across from Rayman, on the other side of the pond there was a bit of a hill with a wooden gate blocking off entry into the interior of the wall. To the left and right of the gate were two young Glutes, who Rayman recognized as Globox's children. They spotted Rayman and cheered. "Rayman, come over here!" one yelled across the lake. "We have something to tell you!"

Rayman sighed. "Why did it have to be a pond?" he asked himself. "Why not something less wet?" Hesitantly he inched towards the pond, closed his eyes, braced himself, and dropped into the pool. Muscles all tense, he slowly got himself across the pond and onto the other side. He breathed heavily as soon as he got on the dry grass and shook himself dry. "Rayman, are you alright?" one of the Glutes asked, hurrying over to him.

"Uh, yeah," Rayman reassured. "I'm just... Well, I'm afraid of water," he embarrassedly explained.

"Oh, is that all? You had me worried for a minute, monsieur!" the Glute laughed. "We're two of Globox's kids, if you didn't guess that already."

"Yeah, I guessed. What... What are you kids doing here? This... This is enemy territory!"

"Well, we saw Ly being taken away by some pirates. We wanted to be like Daddy and rescue Ly, so we followed those bad guys. We couldn't get far, though, 'cuz they were big meanies and shut this gate!"

"This gate goes to the fortress?" Rayman frustratedly panted. "Of... Of all the rotten... Rotten luck..."

"Are you following Ly too?" the other Glute asked, walking down to join in the conversation.

"Yes... I'm following her too... Oh come on, Rayman, get yourself together," Rayman added as a bit of encouragement. He collected himself and stood tall. "Yes, kiddies, I'm off to save Ly. Haven't you any idea how to open this gate? Any idea at all?"

"Yep," the second Glute said proudly. "There's a way. I was watching those pirates, and to close the gate they shut that big red switch over there." The Glute pointed up to a large black device against the cliff, right above the giant branch. It had a large red flipper switch pointing downwards. "As soon as the switch pointed down, the gate shut. We tried to outsmart them by using the large bouncy mushroom on the island over there, but we were too small to reach the vines underneath the branch. I'm pretty sure the branch reaches over the wall, there must be some way beyond there to get on top of that branch!"

Rayman smirked. "You're pretty smart for a kid. Thanks for the tip. I think I may just see if you're right!"

"Super," the Glute exclaimed. "We'll be waiting!"

"Yeah, we'll be waiting!" the first Glute chimed in.

Rayman waved good-bye and leaped from the hill. At this altitude, he decided that by spinning his hair like a helicopter he could parachute down all the way to the island in the middle of the pond. He rolled in the air and swished his head around. They almost immediately rotated into a helicopter and Rayman slowly descended onto the island. It was a strange ability, helicopter hair. He had learned it from Betilla in the Band Land country. Oh how he missed Betilla... The Baby Globox's idea was a great success, and the bouncy mushroom sprung Rayman right up into an overhanging branch. He grabbed the vines hanging from it to avoid hitting his head, and started crossing the underside of the branch towards an outcropping ledge underneath the switch. He dropped onto the ledge, just nearly missing it, and tip-toed into a nearby tunnel.

The tunnel brought him out on the other side of the boulder wall, deep in the woods. A river, presumably the same one that fed the glade's pond, flowed from here into another tunnel. Rayman cringed as he looked at a sign sticking out from the water. A big picture of a piranha was plastered onto it; that was the universal sign for piranha-infested waters. He peered into the water, and just barely got out of the way before a piranha came leaping out of the water to catch him. There was a tunnel above the river leading back through the boulder wall, and Rayman guessed it was the path to the switch as well. Looking across the river, he could see ledges sticking out of the wall like stepping stones, which could allow him to climb up to the tunnel.

Fortunately, Rayman didn't have to swim across the river. Giant green lilypads floated on the water's surface. Rayman cautiously poked one along the water's edge with his foot. It seemed sturdy enough. Taking a deep breath, Rayman stepped onto the lilypad. It bounced in the water slightly under his weight, but didn't sink. "So far so good," Rayman muttered under his breath. He hopped onto another lilypad, floating in the middle of the river. He began moving across the lilypad to jump onto a third. Suddenly a large piranha jumped out of the water and over the lilypad, almost nailing Rayman in his side. It splashed into the water and turned around, but Rayman took this brief pause in its movements to run across the lilypad and jump onto the third one, which harbored itself along one of the wall ledges. Rayman paused to take a quick look back. He had escaped the clutches of the Robo-Pirates, and yet he now found himself on the attack once again. The other side of the river, the one he had come from, was the path to safety. And the side he now stood at was the path to revolution.

At the top of the boulder wall, Rayman briskly walked through the tunnel and back out into the clearing where he had met the Glutes. He stood atop the very branch he had used to get to the river, and against the wall was the red switch. He didn't even need to get close to it; just shooting a Magic Fist was enough to flip the switch. As soon as the switch was flipped, the gate near the Glutes opened.

After making his way down to the gate, Rayman thanked Globox's children for their help and ran into the tunnel the gate had sealed. He didn't wander far before the ground became muddy and slippery. Rayman lost his balance and slid down a muddy slope, all the way down until he reached ordinary grass and dirt. A bit dazed, Rayman got himself up and tried in vain to brush the mud off of himself.

By now the blue sky had become orange, and the planet's two suns began their final hours before sinking beyond the horizon. In the fading light Rayman looked out upon a small oil refinery. "That shouldn't be there," he murmured to himself with disgust. The refinery was poorly built and appeared to have been put together recently. Pirate-made, two large pumps on its roof spewed oil and sludge into the Iron River. "No wonder there are so many piranhas," Rayman remarked, taking note of the Piranha Sign nearby. "They're the only things that could be capable of living in such filth!" Above the refinery's pumps, Rayman spotted a hole leading into the Glade's forest and out of the clearing. The refinery appeared to be abandoned, so Rayman crossed a bridge and entered. Very quickly (for which Rayman was glad; the refinery smelled terrible) Rayman found a door leading onto a veranda he could use to access the hoke. He jumped onto one pump, and then the next, and then hurried into the forest; as terrible as the refinery was, it would have to wait.

-

After a few hours crossing the forest, Rayman turned a corner and stopped in his tracks. He had arrived at the top of a cliff, overlooking miles of forest, mountains, and swamp down below. Two full moons shone against millions of stars in the dark night sky. Their light cast onto a large wooden fortress at the edge of the cliff, which in turn cast a menacing shadow on the rest of the clifftop. Rayman shuddered, but it wasn't the cold wind that made him do so. The fortress, he knew, was holding Ly captive. He could only guess as to what terrible things the Robo-Pirates were doing to her inside. Hopefully, he thought, they weren't doing to her what they did to Betilla.

As the wind picked up, he noticed a Robo-Pirate guard watching from the top of the fort. It hadn't seen him yet, but if Rayman were to get any closer it would surely sound the alarm. Getting into the fortress would be even trickier than avoiding the guard. Rayman was at a loss as to what he should do. He couldn't find any other way into the fortress. The only way in was via the front door.

Memories soon returned to him. He had seen a front door just like this one. It was at one of the Robo-Pirate Fortresses in Band Land. He had tried so hard to get in; if it weren't for Globox and Betilla, he probably wouldn't have made it in at all. He remembered what happened when they broke in. Millions of Robo-Pirates were waiting for them. It had been a trap; Admiral Razorbeard himself had planned it. He remembered how they seized Betilla. How they took her away, ignoring her screams as they electrocuted her into submission. He remembered all too much. The governor of Band Land, held at point blank. Betilla's final pleas for help before finally being knocked out. The destruction of the Buddhist Sanctuary at Gong Heights, all who lived there dying in a burning inferno. He remembered how much of a failure his whole attempt was.

How ironic it was, then, that he'd yet again find himself trying to figure out how to get into a Robo-Pirate Fortress so soon. This time, though, he wasn't going to have any help. He'd have to do it alone.

Rayman was beginning to lose all hope for getting into the fortress when he noticed a small pile of wooden boards on the ground near the fortress. They were patched together, as if covering up some hole. It wasn't much, but it was Rayman's only hope. He took a deep breath, and ran out into the open. The Robo-Pirate saw him almost immediately and began lobbing flaming kegs of gunpowder from the top of the fortress. The first one hit the ground dangerously close to Rayman; he rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the explosion. "Looks like this guy's a good shot," Rayman huffed as he continued to run. "But that'll only make this easier, I hope." Rayman stopped running. He stood atop the pile of wooden boards and waited. The Robo-Pirate reacted just as he had predicted; it launched a barrel straight at him. Rayman dove away from the pile as the keg impacted with the boards and decimated them. Where the boards had been there now was a hole in the ground. Rayman had nowhere else to go, so he closed his eyes and jumped into it.

-

Rayman didn't have far to drop. Within seconds he landed on cold stone pavement, a small bit of solid ground in what looked to be a sewer system. It was a small, dark room, with a river of green, polluted water flowing through one grate to the other, dividing the room. The water smelled terrible, making the entire room smell like the interior of a compost heap. The river was too wide to jump across, but Rayman located a few barrels floating in the water that he could use as stepping stones. He jumped from barrel to barrel, all the way across to the other side of the river. Looking up, Rayman saw that there was indeed a balcony of the fortress above him, beside two ducts dropping more barrels into the water. The only way up was a sturdy spiderweb. Rayman took a deep breath and climbed up the web, hoping a barrel wouldn't hit him and knock him into the water.

Successfully arriving at the top of the chamber, Rayman was delighted to find a doorway leading into the fortress. Peeking inside, the coast looked clear, except for a single Robo-Pirate sleeping at the top of another balcony. Behind the pirate was a large red switch, and underneath the balcony was a staircase leading downstairs. The staircase was blocked by an electric wall, which Rayman guessed was being operated by the switch. The only way to go without waking the snoring robot was to the left.

Sneaking his way through the halls, Rayman discovered a staircase leading up to the same floor as the sleeping Robo-Pirate. Cautiously, he crept up the stairs. Every sound the wooden steps made caused him to cringe. It would be bad news if that sleeping Robo-Pirate went on the alert. At the top of the stairs was a small galley, with pots and pans hanging from the ceiling and an old-fashioned stove sitting in a corner. Rayman was about to creep into a nearby room when a familiar Greenbottle flew out from behind one of the pans. The limbless hero was about to greet his comrade when Murfy quickly put his hand over Rayman's mouth.

"Shh, Rayman!" Murfy whispered. "Try to be careful; there's some Robo-Pirates on patrol very nearby. I've been waiting for you. I'll explain how I got here later; right now, I have to prepare you to battle those pirates. You remember the training we did with the scarecrow?" Rayman nodded carefully. "Well, fighting these pirates will be just like fighting that scarecrow, except these guys shoot back."

"Alright; I'm going in," Rayman announced. He began to cross the galley when Murfy flew in front of him, blocking his way.

"Just be careful, alright? Don't forget, they've defeated you before. If they get you again, they'll probably skip prison and move right on to execution."

"Last time was a fluke. I'm prepared this time."

"So you think. Just remember, Robo-Pirates aren't just dumb robots; they learn and adapt to your fighting style. Whatever they did to catch you last time they'll be twice as skilled at this time around. But the guys in here are low ranking infantry, so you should be okay... If you use your common sense."

"Alright, Murfy, but if you don't move I'll never get to them!"

"Oh, right..." Murfy fluttered out of the way and Rayman approached a door leading out of the galley. "I'll meet you outside the fortress," the Greenbottle called before his friend left.

Rayman had entered a sort of lounge. Across the room he could see a small hallway; at the other end slept the Robo-Pirate he had seen before. The switch lingered temptingly behind it, calling Rayman towards it with a crimson light. But he was smarter than that, and didn't like the emptiness of the room. It didn't seem right. He began to cross it with his fists held high in the air, ready to launch a Magic Fist at the first sign of movement.

Suddenly, a Robo-Pirate dressed in a green uniform jumped out from behind a couch and pointed his blaster-like hand at Rayman's head. The nozzle in the blaster lit a brilliant orange for a brief moment before a swirling ball of fire launched out of the pistol and hurtled towards Rayman's giant nose. It spun in the air, going in a straight line between the pirate and Rayman. Rayman threw himself to the floor and rolled out of the way; behind him, the blast shattered a vase. A voice that sounded like two rusty iron bars being rubbed against each other echoed from the grating in the robot's head. "HALT, INTRUDER!" it commanded, its words monotonous and artificial. When Rayman pulled his hand back for a Magic Fist, the Robo-Pirate launched another ball of fire from its pistol. It missed, but only barely; the blast grazed the side of Rayman's torso.

"You'll pay for that," Rayman growled. From his white glove he threw a small white orb of light at the Robo-Pirate; the impact caused its parts to rattle and shake. It fired another blast in retaliation, but Rayman was prepared this time and jumped over it. He threw another Magic Fist at the pirate. This time, the bolts and screws holding the Robo-Pirate together were knocked loose and the pirate collapsed in a heap of scrap metal.

Unfortunately, the battle woke up the Robo-Pirate by the switch. It was almost identical to the first, except it wore a purple uniform instead of a green one, marked with a single golden badge. Rayman was able to guess that the purple Robo-Pirate was a rank higher than the green one. The purple Robo-Pirate charged into the room and fired a ball of fire at Rayman. "That isn't going to get you anywhere, buddy," Rayman chuckled defiantly as he jumped over it. "Your friend here already found that out." He threw a Magic Fist at the Robo-Pirate, which caused its parts to jiggle slightly; not as much as the green one's, but jiggle all the same.

"DIE, INTRUDER!" the Robo-Pirate snarled as soon as it had its focus again. It pointed its blaster at Rayman, who instinctively prepared to jump. Just as the pirate fired, however, it leaped into the air. Rayman didn't catch his mistake soon enough, and jumped to avoid the blast. He was hit square in the chest and was knocked back into a wall.

"What in Polokus' name just happened?" he moaned. "I didn't know they could jump!" Murfy's words echoed in his head. _Robo-Pirates aren't just dumb robots; they learn and adapt to your fighting style._ "Oh boy... This is going to be a bit trickier than I thought."

The Robo-Pirate stood above Rayman with its blaster pointed straight at Rayman's forehead. "RISE, INTRUDER!" it ordered. Rayman slowly got himself up and rose his hands. "ANY LAST WORDS?" Rayman nodded.

"Yeah... This!" He slammed his hand onto the top of the Robo-Pirate's, denting it and causing the pirate to fall to the floor. "Hope I hit his motherboard," Rayman mumbled. "Otherwise things are going to get rough pretty soon..." He stumbled over the two collapsed Robo-Pirates and crossed the hall to the switch. With both hands he pulled the huge red flipper down, and he could hear the electric grid deactivating around the passageway below. Taking a deep breath, he jumped over the railing and onto the floor below, then ran down the newly-accessible staircase. "Don't worry Ly," he whispered under his breath, "I'm coming."


End file.
